In The Lab with Ruben Kanya

In this reflective episode of In The Lab, Ruben unpacks the concept of “relationship equity”—the unseen deposits we make when we give value first without expectation in return—and how this principle has created full-circle moments in his real estate and entrepreneurial journey. Drawing from his own experiences and those of past podcast guests, Ruben highlights how relationships built on giving oft...

In this powerful episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with George Otel, a finance expert, entrepreneur, and investor who has carved a unique path from trucking fleets to becoming “the finance guy” for business and real estate deals. George immigrated to the U.S. in 2011, built a trucking fleet, then pivoted into real estate, business loans, and funding strategies after realizing the leverage and...

In this episode, Ruben shares a simple but powerful framework from his mentor, Myron Golden —the three C’s of fulfillment—and shows how it applies to business, real estate, and life. If something feels “off,” it’s usually because one (or more) buckets is empty: Create (projects, content, opportunities), Connect (community, proximity, masterminds), and Contribute (impact beyond self). When all thre...

In this solo briefing, Ruben breaks down Airbnb’s move to a single host-only fee (15.5%) for listings managed through property management software (PMS)—what’s changing, when it hits, and what it means for operators. He clarifies the Aug 25 & Oct 27, 2025 timelines and why this shift underscores a hard truth: Airbnb optimizes for guests first, not hosts. Ruben shares the immediate, practical f...

In this focused solo episode of In The Lab, Ruben unpacks the lessons he learned from attending a three-day Nike tennis training camp and how they directly apply to business, real estate, and personal growth. He reflects on the four key pillars that make intensive training so powerful—proximity, reps, correction, and longevity—and why missing just one of these can make the entire experience meanin...

In this reflective solo episode of In The Lab, Ruben shares the lessons he gained from running his first 10K race and how they directly apply to entrepreneurship, real estate, and life. From training with mentors to pushing through discomfort and finding the right environment, Ruben unpacks why success is less about talent and more about discipline, persistence, and proximity to the right people....

In this high-impact episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Brandon Rickman, an Atlanta-based investor, entrepreneur, and general contractor who has flipped over 500 houses, developed 100 new-construction single-family homes, and built vertically integrated businesses spanning private lending, self-storage, and consumer products. With over 25 years in real estate, Brandon shares how his career...

In this powerful and paradigm-shifting episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Jay Cameron, real estate investor, international speaker, and founder of Maximum Impact Travel. Jay opens up about the pivotal moment when he realized that grinding through life just to pay bills wasn’t enough. After building financial stability through real estate and entrepreneurship, he made a bold decision to tr...

In this deep-dive episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Joel Friedland, founder of Brit Properties, to explore an uncommon but powerful approach to real estate syndication: acquiring industrial properties with no debt. Joel, who has been in the industrial real estate game since the age of 22, shares his evolution from working under a Chicago family office to building his own portfolio of hig...

In this timely episode of In The Lab, Ruben breaks down when and why you should consider shifting to a hybrid short-term and mid-term rental model and how the latest tax legislation makes it even more lucrative. Coming off last week’s Driving Conversations with AI vs. Questions, he explains how operators can strategically layer MTR contracts over STR availability to increase monthly income while p...

In this informative episode of In The Lab, Ruben breaks down a powerful framework for how to actually use AI as a strategic partner—not just a search engine. Drawing from real-world conversations he's had with AI to help close deals, refine business plans, and optimize decision-making, Ruben reveals how the right prompts, context, and conversations can turn ChatGPT into your most valuable boar...

In this solo episode of In The Lab, Ruben delivers a powerful, high-impact debrief heading into Q3 2025. With the lab coat on and lessons in hand, he walks through seven strategic experiments and three hard-earned insights from the previous quarter that every real estate entrepreneur needs to hear. From HELOCs on second homes and appraisal strategies to AI integration and bank account structuring...

In this data-packed episode of In The Lab, we sit down with Jeff Hurst, CEO of Furnished Finder and former President of Vrbo, Chief Strategy Officer at HomeAway, and COO of Expedia Group. Jeff brings decades of experience in travel and hospitality tech to a fast-growing platform that has quietly become a powerhouse in the midterm rental space. Under his leadership, Furnished Finder has doubled its...

In this insightful episode of In The Lab, we’re joined by Gabriel Wacker, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Transitions Group—a vertically integrated firm providing solutions in corporate housing, furniture rental, and temporary accommodations. Gabriel has been a key player in the evolution of furnished housing since the early days of Oakwood and Marriott’s foray into corporate housing. His...

In this energizing and introspective episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Corey Ryan Bevilacqua and Cory Jacobson, co-founders of the Wealth Juice brand and podcast. These two long-time friends and partners share their inspiring journey from college roommates to building a real estate portfolio, launching a top-performing media platform, and now mentoring others on the path to financial fre...

In this immersive episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Melissa Darnay, founder of Choose Panama and host of The Panama Podcast. Melissa shares her remarkable story of turning personal tragedy into purpose by relocating to Panama and building a thriving real estate and hospitality business. What started as a leap of faith became a decade-plus journey of entrepreneurship, lifestyle freedom, a...

In this inspiring episode of In The Lab, we're joined by Brian Hatcher, founder and CEO of Hatch Capital, and Aaron Appleton, his trusted partner in Hatch Capital property management and founder of Mirror Haus Collection micro resort. Together they’ve moved from managing short-term rentals to curating branded micro resort experiences— both collectively and individually building their own respe...

In this game-changing episode of In The Lab, Ruben links up with serial house hacker and investor and close friend Brian Hatcher to unpack the real estate cheat codes most people overlook. From their San Diego yacht-side conversation to boots-on-the-ground investing plays, this episode is packed with insider knowledge on how to hack your way into wealth without cutting corners. Brian shares his re...

In this eye-opening episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with public adjuster Andy Gurczak of All City Adjusting for a second time to unpack the misunderstood world of insurance claims and temporary housing. Andy explains why most homeowners and investors are at a major disadvantage when filing insurance claims and how public adjusters can help recover tens of thousands of dollars more—often wit...

In this high-energy behind-the-scenes episode of In The Lab, Ruben and Vivian sit down to unpack the real wins, surprises, and life-changing conversations that happened before, during, and after their sold-out MTR event in San Diego. From laughter to legacy, they reflect on the power of collaboration, the emotional feedback from attendees, and the unexpected impact of simply showing up in the room...

Welcome to the lab. Today, we're joined by Linda Holtz, a multifamily investor and property management expert who immigrated to the U.S. With over a decade of experience in property management, Linda learned the ins and outs of running efficient, profitable properties—until one powerful question changed everything: why manage properties for others when she could own them herself? In this episo...

In this eye opening episode of In The Lab, Ruben unpacks the hidden truths behind what it really takes to succeed—across life, business, and real estate. Drawing parallels between biotech innovation, basketball shooting averages, Airbnb crisis management, and entrepreneurial mindsets, he reveals a powerful framework: success isn’t a straight path—it’s earned through failure, structure, and service...

In this expansive and thought-provoking episode of In The Lab, Ruben breaks down a powerful concept that’s shifting the way high-level operators grow: owning less, but earning more through collaboration. Drawing from real-time projects, events, and conversations inside the Experiment Nation community, Ruben explores the idea of building a business model that grows through shared success rather tha...

In this reflective and action-driven episode of In The Lab, Ruben dives into a transformative concept that has fueled much of his growth: the power of one-to-many. By unpacking this principle, Ruben reveals how leveraging single actions to create exponential impact can unlock the next level of growth in your business and life. Through personal examples from real estate, community building, and con...

In this reflective and action-driven episode of In The Lab , Ruben delves into the journey of achieving mastery—highlighting the hidden phase most people overlook: the “unknown unknowns.” Drawing from personal experiences, mentorship, and timeless truths, Ruben outlines the true roadmap behind long-term success, unpacking the layers of persistence, experimentation, and compound growth required to...